Telegrams: My grandmothers lived half way around the world, without telephones, when I was a kid. My mom (a former newspaper editor and headline-writer extraordinaire) would make composing telegrams (Happy Birthday, New Baby, Significant News) into a game -- how to convey an important message in 15 words or less?
Google AdWords: Today, my far flung cousins have cell phones (no landlines or email!). But I find myself writing in the short form more than ever. I've been tweaking Google AdWords campaigns for clients and I must admit that the restrictions of the medium only make it more fun. It's hard to ramble on about your value prop or insert more marketing fluff when you're writing on a postage stamp. Which is the beauty of it.
Twitter Haiku: Since I don't switch ads out daily, and still want to tone my extra "marketing flab" I've started a new fitness program: writing Haiku via Twitter (or Twaiku).
ATCs: Fine artists have long touted the advice "if you're in a painting rut and you paint small, paint huge for a change. If you paint huge, go to miniature". In January, I started painting ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) for that very reason.
I doubt I'll become a true miniature artist (my brushes are way too big) but I'm up for the journey...
